Friday, August 07, 2015

First up--just a reminder that my cover reveal is Monday. If you haven't signed up to participate, the sign-up sheet is at the bottom of this post.Last week I got a strange call on my phone. I did what I always do when I don’t recognize a number. I Googled it to see who the number belonged to. Doesn't everyone do that?

Anyway, I immediately found that my bank’s fraud department was connected to that number. It’s a number that calls to warn you that your card has been compromised.

I logged into my account and, sure enough, there were eight $500 charges all in a row. But here’s the funny part… Every single charge was connected to a fast food restaurant.

Each one was charged twice. So what’s up with that? How did someone run a fake card through multiple fast food restaurants twice, with each amount totaling $500? I don’t get it! Was it some sort of electronic transaction that those restaurants aren’t even aware happened? Or are we dealing with someone who bought a LOT of Big Macs? Wait a minute...I think I know the culprit!

It's the last day to sign up for my Piper Morgan cover reveal, which starts Monday. If you want to join in, sign up below!

Thursday, August 06, 2015

It's time to introduce you to a great new book from Ashelyn Drake, an adorable writer whose face probably looks familiar:

If you're a regular around here, you know her as Kelly Hashway! Kelly's a friend of mine and I'm so excited to be part of her cover reveal. Check out this amazing new cover. I can't wait to read it!

Below is the blurb. Scroll down for links to all of Ashelyn's links. Oh...and don't forget to add it on Goodreads!Blurb:Becca Daniels needs to get a passing grade in Trig. Becca Daniels wants to spend more time with her best friend Tori’s twin brother Toby. What she has is a brain that refuses to understand math and a best friend with a strict “No dating the brother” rule.When her grade hits rock bottom, Becca has no choice but to get a tutor. Lucky for her, Toby is a math genius and more than willing to help her out. Turns out Becca isn’t the only one who hates Tori’s dating rule.What starts out as an innocent tutoring session quickly evolves into late night texts and hidden kisses. But the closer Becca gets to Toby, the greater the risk that she’ll lose her best friend. When their secret relationship threatens to destroy more than just her friendship with Tori, Becca will have to figure out how much she’s willing to risk to keep the guy of her dreams.

Wednesday, August 05, 2015

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means hundreds of us will be posting about our insecurities. But first, have you signed up for my Piper Morgan cover reveal? If not, click here to sign up. I've also included the form at the bottom of this post.Now...here's my IWSG post!

As human beings, it's only natural we'll compare ourselves to others. We notice who is driving a nicer car...

Living in a bigger house...

And wearing nicer clothes.

In writing, we can sometimes feel desperate to compare ourselves to others. We need a benchmark for what we're doing--something that will let us know we're on the right track.

Unfortunately, when we compare ourselves to others, we do ourselves a huge disservice. As I've said before, one of the biggest problems, especially in the social media age, is this:

Someone recently said she lives by this motto: "Stay in your lane and keep driving." It's a reminder to stop looking at everyone else and merely focus on what you're doing. In other words...

That's easier said than done, especially once you're published. You constantly watch what other writers are doing. Are they doing 1,000 booksignings the first week their book is out? Is Twitter lighting up with news of their new release? If so, what does that say about your own efforts?

While it's important to note what other people are doing, the only real reason for it is to notice things we can add to what we're already doing. It isn't to feel bad about ourselves. When comparisons start dragging us down, it's time to take a step back and realize this:

Do you ever get dragged down by comparing yourself to others?Have you signed up for my Piper Morgan cover reveal yet? If not, sign up below!

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

It's time to introduce you to another exciting offering from this beautiful blogger:

Today, Meradeth is hosting an Internet-wide launch of her newest book, Travelers. Here's the beautiful cover:

Blurb:

Sienna Crenshaw knows the rules: 1) no time traveling beyond your natural lifetime, 2) no screwing with death, and 3) no changing the past. Ever. Sienna doesn’t love being stuck in the present, but she’s not the type to break the rules. That is, she wasn’t the type until her best friend broke every one of those rules to keep Henry, her twin brother and Sienna’s ex-boyfriend, alive. Suddenly, Sienna is caught in an unfamiliar reality. The upside? Henry is still alive. The downside? Sienna’s old life, including the people in it, has been erased. Now, Sienna and Henry must untangle the giant knot in time, or her parents and all the rest of the Travelers, will be lost forever. One problem: the only way to be successful is for Henry to die.

Bio:

I’ve never been a big fan of talking about myself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about me:

I'm a California girl. This generally means I talk too fast and use "like" a lot. Since I now live in Montana, sometimes this is a problem.

I have my doctorate in molecular anthropology. Translation: I sequence dead people's DNA and spend a whole lot of time in a lab, which I love.

I've been writing since I was 11 years old. It's my hobby, my passion, and I'm so happy to get to share my work!

My other passion is teaching. There's nothing more fun than getting a classroom of college kids fired up about anthropology! This is probably a good thing, since my day job requires me to teach at the local university.

If I could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because I'm terrified of heights.

Monday, August 03, 2015

Now I have my third book cover, which is the first book in my Piper Morgan chapter book series. I swear it is the most adorable thing I've ever seen! I'm going to be sharing it with the world one week from today.Next week I'm doing a super-exciting cover reveal across the blogosphere, as well as on social media. Would you like to participate? Drop your name below and I'll send you the information you need. Whether you'd like to interview me, host me as a guest on your blog, or just post a blurb, it's up to you! So excited to share Piper Morgan with all of my blogging friends. :-)